Man had ‘trunk full’ of stolen avocados and bag of meth on the dash, California cops say

A man accused of stealing avocados from a California ranch was caught with dozens of the fruits in his trunk along with a bag of methamphetamine on his dashboard, according to a California sheriff’s office.

A sheriff’s deputy patrolling an area of Goleta, a city about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, noticed a man with a headlamp and bucket of avocados walking along the road on Sunday, May 8, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy also noticed a vehicle parked nearby along the roadway with a bag of methamphetamine on the dashboard, according to the news release.

Authorities searched the vehicle and discovered a “trunk full of avocados” and methamphetamine pipe, according to the sheriff’s office.

They also contacted the owners of the ranch, who told them the man did not have permission to harvest on their land, according to the news release.

Police said they arrested the man for grand theft of fruit, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The avocados were returned to the ranch owner, according to the sheriff’s department.

This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 12:24 PM.